Hi,
My guinea pig Gonzalez has been ill for the past two weeks - I suspected he had an URI so the vet put him on metacam and antibiotics but then he stopped eating, lost weight, poos went mushy, wasn’t active and also started squealing when passing some poos. (Back in July he was also on meds and they did the same thing making him squeal when pooing, vets said it was just a side effect and it stopped after he came off them). He went to the vets again and they said he seemed fine but they decided to take him off the meds as he could have upset his gut, and he’s been put on critical care. He still hadn’t improved so he went in again on Monday to another vet and this time she felt a lump on his tummy and she said he squealed if she touched it. He’s back on a high dosage of metacam and since has improved, he started eating normally, poos are back to normal (still slight squeaking though when he passes some) and he seems so much happier, running around and is popcorning lots.
He had an ultrasound on Tuesday to see what the lump is and unfortunately he has 2 internal cysts (1cm diameter) close together filled with fluid on his tummy/abdominal. The vet says this is why he’s been feeling ill (nothing to do with a URI or the antibiotics) but she is very confused because she doesn’t actually know what it is or what’s caused it as he’s a healthy 1 year old male. She spoke to an exotic specialist who has said the only option forward is for them to remove it, otherwise he’ll be in pain and it might grow and burst. But he also didn’t know what it could be. (Which concerns me) . I also cannot find anything online about abdominal cysts in males.
The operation is meant to be happening next week but I am SOOO concerned about it. Gonzalez would need to be put under and they open him up and see what the lump is. If all went well during the operation they would be able to remove the cyst, stitch him back up and he wakes up fine. But obviously there are very high risks with anaesthesia and guinea pigs, especially as they are opening up his abdominal. Another thing is, because she has no idea what it is they might open him up and find they can’t do anything to the cyst so she said she would probably put him to sleep there as it’s unfair on him to wake him up at that point. It’s basically just a gamble, whether the cyst will be easily removable or not and the only way of telling will be when he’s in surgery.
I’m basically just asking for advice what to do , or if anyone’s guinea pig has had a cyst (and removed) before?
I’m just absolutely terrified the operation is going to go wrong, either he passes during it or the cyst cannot be removed and they have to put him to sleep. It also scares me that they don’t know what the cyst even is and have never done this operation before so don’t know what to expect, I do trust the vet to do a good job but just depends on what she finds.
I obviously want Gonzalez to be happy and not in pain (if it’s the cyst that is even causing it) but at the moment he seems nearly back to normal (I know he’s on metacam) but its making it so hard to go through with this risky operation as he’s acting sooo happy at the moment, and it breaks my heart to potentially end his life at only 1 year if the operation doesn’t go well. But I also don’t want to risk the cyst getting worst and growing or bursting and causing him pain, but also it might not - might be harmless but we don’t know! It’s so tricky.
I am also sooooo terrified of loosing him as I lost my other 10 month baby guinea to pneumonia in May and I am still processing the guilt and grief of that, I cannot bare to loose both of them and so close together.
If anyone has any advice on cysts or anything or whether I should go through with this operation or not please please do message me, I honestly have no idea what to do.
My guinea pig Gonzalez has been ill for the past two weeks - I suspected he had an URI so the vet put him on metacam and antibiotics but then he stopped eating, lost weight, poos went mushy, wasn’t active and also started squealing when passing some poos. (Back in July he was also on meds and they did the same thing making him squeal when pooing, vets said it was just a side effect and it stopped after he came off them). He went to the vets again and they said he seemed fine but they decided to take him off the meds as he could have upset his gut, and he’s been put on critical care. He still hadn’t improved so he went in again on Monday to another vet and this time she felt a lump on his tummy and she said he squealed if she touched it. He’s back on a high dosage of metacam and since has improved, he started eating normally, poos are back to normal (still slight squeaking though when he passes some) and he seems so much happier, running around and is popcorning lots.
He had an ultrasound on Tuesday to see what the lump is and unfortunately he has 2 internal cysts (1cm diameter) close together filled with fluid on his tummy/abdominal. The vet says this is why he’s been feeling ill (nothing to do with a URI or the antibiotics) but she is very confused because she doesn’t actually know what it is or what’s caused it as he’s a healthy 1 year old male. She spoke to an exotic specialist who has said the only option forward is for them to remove it, otherwise he’ll be in pain and it might grow and burst. But he also didn’t know what it could be. (Which concerns me) . I also cannot find anything online about abdominal cysts in males.
The operation is meant to be happening next week but I am SOOO concerned about it. Gonzalez would need to be put under and they open him up and see what the lump is. If all went well during the operation they would be able to remove the cyst, stitch him back up and he wakes up fine. But obviously there are very high risks with anaesthesia and guinea pigs, especially as they are opening up his abdominal. Another thing is, because she has no idea what it is they might open him up and find they can’t do anything to the cyst so she said she would probably put him to sleep there as it’s unfair on him to wake him up at that point. It’s basically just a gamble, whether the cyst will be easily removable or not and the only way of telling will be when he’s in surgery.
I’m basically just asking for advice what to do , or if anyone’s guinea pig has had a cyst (and removed) before?
I’m just absolutely terrified the operation is going to go wrong, either he passes during it or the cyst cannot be removed and they have to put him to sleep. It also scares me that they don’t know what the cyst even is and have never done this operation before so don’t know what to expect, I do trust the vet to do a good job but just depends on what she finds.
I obviously want Gonzalez to be happy and not in pain (if it’s the cyst that is even causing it) but at the moment he seems nearly back to normal (I know he’s on metacam) but its making it so hard to go through with this risky operation as he’s acting sooo happy at the moment, and it breaks my heart to potentially end his life at only 1 year if the operation doesn’t go well. But I also don’t want to risk the cyst getting worst and growing or bursting and causing him pain, but also it might not - might be harmless but we don’t know! It’s so tricky.
I am also sooooo terrified of loosing him as I lost my other 10 month baby guinea to pneumonia in May and I am still processing the guilt and grief of that, I cannot bare to loose both of them and so close together.
If anyone has any advice on cysts or anything or whether I should go through with this operation or not please please do message me, I honestly have no idea what to do.
I do advise you discuss your worries with your vet to try and help your nerves. If they felt he wasn’t strong enough they wouldn’t do the surgery at all. 
